July 15, 2008

C.H. Hanson Flip Knife - Review

In our work day, probably the most important tool to us is the utility knife. Throughout each day, the knife serves as pencil sharpener, rope cutter, box opener, wood shaver, and everything else you can imagine. No joke the tool is in our hands about 20 to 50 times each day. This is why we were so interested when we heard that C.H. Hanson has just released something called the Flip Knife. The concept here is simple; a utility knife with a blade at each end.

Now, you'll be able to have two blades available at once. This is not only good for roofers and flooring guys who might need two different types of blades, but also to people like us, who can now have one sharp blade (pencil sharpener) and one junk blade (everything else) at their disposal.

C.H. Hanson's model is built solidly. That we can tell just by hefting it. One of the reasons why we're such fans of C.H. Hanson is that while they focus on innovation, they never forget what makes the tool in the first place. Here, they haven't opted for the dual blade system at the expense of the durability of the knife. In addition to its solidness, the body has an ergonomic curve to it, making it fit perfectly in the hands and giving you that much more control over your cut.

One thing we worried about with this tool is the chance of opening up one blade while using the other. C.H. Hanson is way ahead of us on this one and has made it so one blade cannot extend while the other is out. This feature eliminates any danger of the second blade, which is nice because if it did come out, it would be right at the wrist.

The only sacrifice that is made by having the option of two blades is that there is no on-board blade storage. This is a bit of a bummer (we chew through blades like Kleenex), but in a way this isn't really a concern. Seeing as blades are double-sided, you actually now have four blades at your disposal. So you may not have storage, but you'll be able to go twice as long before you need a refill.

Our only gripe with the knife is that there isn't all that much to differentiate the ends from one another. The logo on the grip pad is different (one side says Flip Knife, the other C.H. Hanson), but in the fury of a work day, that doesn't seem like enough to quickly tell the difference. It would be nice if one end had a color band around it or something (we're thinking of hitting one side with a blast of spray paint). Or, better yet, if it was something that you could feel with your hand as you're taking the tool out of your pocket, like a waffle pattern on one end. If the point of the tool is to have two blades going at once, each with a different purpose, not being able to tell the ends apart quickly gets in the way of that.

But all in all it's a great item and one worthy of the C.H. Hanson name.

The Flip Knife sells for $10 (no more than any other quality knife) and comes with a regular blade and one of those hooked ones that looks like the Bat symbol.

Jennie McBride: I have been trying to find a Scribe holder for read moreTomonthebeach: The Rigid is powerful and large, but even the most read moreJim Landman: Great info Doug, this article led me to The Sweet read morebwhomeimprovements: I have a DEMO-DEK tool. It wasn't cheap but it read moreTool Snob: Yeah, it's pretty bright. I'm not sure how much light read more